The present invention relates to an axial separator for a combine harvester, and to a control unit for an axial separator.
Axial separators for a combiner harvester comprise a separating rotor which is rotatably supported in a housing comprising, as viewed in the conveyance direction of the separating rotor, a receiving region for crop material, into which the crop material transferred by a threshing system upstream of the axial separator is delivered, a separating region, in which crop material is separated from non-crop components, and a transfer region for the crop material residue. For this purpose, the transfer region of the housing comprises an opening which is limited by a wall in sections in the circumferential direction of the separating rotor. Furthermore, a guide element is disposed in the transfer region in the region of the opening, which influences the flow of crop material emerging through the opening, and which is conveyed to a further-treatment device disposed underneath the transfer region.
Document EP 1 031 270 B1 makes known an axial separating device for an axial combine harvester, comprising a threshing-separating rotor which is rotatably supported in a housing, in which crop material is threshed and then separated from non-crop components. The non-crop components forming a stream of crop material are conveyed by the threshing-separating rotor into a transfer region, in which the stream of crop material is delivered to a distributor device located underneath the transfer region. A guide element which extends in the direction of rotation of the threshing-separating rotor and has a contour that varies in the direction of material flow is rigidly attached to the housing of the axial separating device in the transfer region of the housing enclosing the threshing-separating rotor, and deflects the crop material residue emerging from the transfer region.
A disadvantage of an axial separating device according to the prior art has proven to be that, due to the rigid arrangement of the guide element, the crop material cannot be specifically influenced in a satisfactory manner, in particular depending on the crop material properties. Especially when the crop material is moist, the rigid attachment of the guide element to the housing results in a unilateral distribution of the conveyance of the crop material residue into the downstream further-handling unit which cannot be compensated for by implementing a special shape of the rigidly disposed guide element, as provided according to the aforementioned prior art. A unilateral conveyance of the crop material residue into the further-handling unit eventually results in the crop material residue being distributed unevenly onto the field.